Meryl Smith Lawton

Cute Little Devil | Spiritual Atheist Don Eglinski.

This is the third instalment of SEE Magazine’s series of stories on what it’s like to live in Edmonton for members of different spiritual groups. This week, Jessica Potter profiles atheist Don Eglinski.

Don Eglinski isn’t your typical atheist. Not that there’s an archetype, but for most people don’t associate atheism with images of spirituality. Yet the 30-year-old Edmonton native considers himself to be both spiritual and an atheist — which might not sit comfortably with everyone.

A designer and marketer by trade and a bartender in real life, Eglinski is a pretty average guy — polite, well-spoken, and tidy. Under the surface, though, he’s maybe not so average. Eglinski is one of a handful of atheists living in Edmonton.

“I’ve found a way to live my life the way I think is spiritual,” says Eglinski. “I don’t personally believe in a god, but exploring consciousness has helped me with my life.”

With names like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens making headlines and ad campaigns questioning the existence of God popping up in cities across the country, atheism has made significant inroads into the mainstream. But has this exposure had any effect on preconceived notions about what being an atheist really means?

“Most people have adapted to me,” Eglinski says. “I’ve grown up with this, so it’s not something new. I defined my own spirituality and it isn’t in accordance with everyone. But there’s now more acceptance of my views than before.” 

But what exactly is atheism? It’s not a religion. It doesn’t carry dogma, doesn’t hold a set of rituals or obey specific ethical codes. An atheist is someone who does not believe in a god. Any god. It’s a simple definition, but a hard concept for many. Most of the world’s population ascribes to one form of religion or another, so a non-believer can stick out.

Although more people are coming out as atheists all the time, conflict can arise between believers and non-believers — especially among friends and family. “When some [friends] have gone back to explore their Christianity or Judaism or whatever,” Eglinski says, “there’s been conflict. In my favour, they’ve known me as a good person, so I’ve never really undergone prejudice, but subjects are sometimes avoided.”

Just as religious views run the gamut, atheism takes many different forms. For Eglinski, his spiritual-atheist linkage comes from an observance of occult principles, not something most people expect from an atheist. “When you say ‘the occult,’ people really freak out about it,” he says. “Occult is a Greek word that literally translates as ‘secret language’ or ‘secret knowledge.’” As a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta, Eglinski has taught a variety of students about the occult. For him, occultism is subjective, psychological, and not paranormal. “What we see affects our world,” he says. “We shape our outcomes. The shit you drop into your unconscious mind are your devils and demons. There’s no God to tell you right and wrong.”

Defining the occult is even more difficult than defining atheism. Prior to the 17th century, science enjoyed a close relationship with the occult. But modern science has pushed the occult toward the realm of religion — indeed, many now associate it with Satanic ritual.  “The road I chose to take is kind of blasphemed,” Eglinski says. “I’m not a devil worshipper. I have a deep appreciation for love and spirit.”

For Eglinski, the occult is about duality versus singularity. The biggest human flaw, he says, is that we cannot see outside ourselves, that we are trapped in our conscious mind. “I’m firmly grounded in atheism,” he said. “But at a deeper level, there’s so much more to the human psyche than the categories we fit our world into.... We live in a culture that has repressed emotion — and I don’t mean that in that New Age yokel way. We just need to experience life, see the white space, and be empathetic enough to live the path of virtue.”